Manchester City close in on Ayyoub Bouaddi deal as Rodri eyed by Barcelona

Manchester City are closing in on signing Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, with the midfielder’s expected arrival clearing the path for Rodri to join Barcelona. The 18-year-old has agreed personal terms with City, but the club are still finalising the deal with Lille who value Bouaddi at €100m (£85m).

City’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, wants to integrate the Morocco international into his first-team squad immediately. City meet Arsenal in the Community Shield on Sunday and start their Premier League campaign against Bournemouth on 23 August.

Barcelona are confident of signing Rodri from City, but they will have to return with an improved offer after an initial €45m bid was rejected last week. The sale of Ferran Torres, who is of interest to Paris Saint‑Germain, would finance Rodri’s purchase. City are all but resigned to the sale of the 30‑year‑old, who has a year left on his contract.

If the Bouaddi deal can be completed, he would join Elliot Anderson, who arrived last month from Nottingham Forest for £116m, in a new-look midfield, which has lost the experience of Bernardo Silva.

Manchester United, meanwhile, are interested in the Leicester player Louis Page. United, who face competition from Arsenal, are hopeful of securing a deal for the 18-year-old midfielder, with Page believed to favour a transfer to Old Trafford.

Marcus Rashford has joined United at their County Kildare training camp following the England forward’s post‑World Cup break. The 28-year-old has spent the past season and a half on loan at Barcelona and Aston Villa respectively, in the aftermath of a breakdown in his relationship with the club executive and the former United head coach Ruben Amorim. Relations have now eased and Rashford is focused on working under the United manager, Michael Carrick, although he could still leave before the end of the transfer window.